NHTSA Complaint #10568894 — 2003 BUICK REGAL

ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO WE HAD TO REPLACE A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH IN OUR 2003 BUICK REGAL. A WEEK PRIOR TO THAT, IT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE "STRANGE" PROBLEMS: THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" AND "ABS" LIGHTS CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY; THERE WERE SOMETIMES ODD SOUNDS DURING BREAKING AND WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL. THEN, ONE MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING. LATER THAT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME IT LOST POWER, I HAD JUST PUT THE TURN SIGNAL ON AND SLOWED DOWN TO GO AROUND A CAR IN ORDER TO GET INTO MY TURNING LANE. IF I HAD NOT ALREADY BEGUN TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, I WOULD HAVE HIT THE BUMPER OF THE CAR IN THE LANE TO MY RIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. FORTUNATELY--- ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS MORNING RUSH HOUR---I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I PROCEEDED ON TO WORK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT EXCEPT THAT MOST OF THE DASH LIGHTS HAD COME ON AND REMAINED ON. WHEN I PULLED TO END OF THE DRIVEWAY AS I LEFT WORK, THE CAR AGAIN STOPPED. I DROVE HOME AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED OUT THE NEXT DAY. THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THE CAR LOSING POWER AS I WAS DRIVING THAT DAY, AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE BACK TO NORMAL SINCE HAVING THE SWITCH REPLACED.. *TR